Security In Store?

Question

if i'm a security guard working in a store and i see someone toke up something and put it in their bag or walking towards the door without paying what do i do, and how do i stop them? (I DON'T HAVE ANY TRAINING)

Answer 1

As store security, you are authorize to take action for illegal acts against your employer only. You can legally detain a shoplifter, as that is a crime against your store. Toking up is not a crime against your employer, so you have no authority to act.

All you can do is be a witness, and call the local police.

Answer 2

I' don't know where you're from or what the laws are there and I'm not familiar with the term "toking". When I was growing up I think that was the slang term for smoking a joint.

However, in Georgia, USA: (According to O.C.G.A. § 16-8-14)
(a) A person commits the offense of theft by shoplifting when he alone or in concert with another person, with the intent of appropriating merchandise to his own use without paying for the same or to deprive the owner of possession thereof or of the value thereof, in whole or in part, does any of the following:

(1) Conceals or takes possession of the goods or merchandise of any store or retail establishment;

(2) Alters the price tag or other price marking on goods or merchandise of any store or retail establishment;

(3) Transfers the goods or merchandise of any store or retail establishment from one container to another;

(4) Interchanges the label or price tag from one item of merchandise with a label or price tag for another item of merchandise; or

(5) Wrongfully causes the amount paid to be less than the merchant's stated price for the merchandise.

After watching someone commit the act (most often concealing in pocket or purse) I would continue watching (and recording on camera) and according to store policy (my employer since I was off-duty; the crime was committed the moment they concealed it according to law.), I would wait until they were passing the registers and heading toward the exit. Then I would rush out of the office so as not to lose them and approach them AS they were exiting the store. I would quietly (calmly and with a smile) ask them to accompany me to the office, that I needed to talk to them about something in the pocket/purse and to please explain something that I'd seen on the video. If they seemed reluctant, I'd (still calmly and quietly) tell them that I didn't want to put their business in the street and embarrass them and would appreciate their cooperation. But that if it would please them, I could put them in hand-cuffs for everyone to see and that if they really wanted their money's worth, I could throw them on the ground. They usually always would come quietly but some I had to chase, fight, pepper-spray, and "Taze"! (repeatedly of course ;-)

I've never been a security guard and I'm sure their procedures are a little different. You would definitely want to get some training before starting a job like that. Not only could you get hurt, you could be tried criminally and sued civilly for any wrongful actions.

Answer 3

In most states if you don't have the training in "Approach and Detain", all you can legally do is observe and report.

Answer 4

You beat there *** down. You gotta be like HEY GET THE HEll BACK HERE and tackle them even if they don't run if you got a taser, taser them too

Answer 5

no training? No protocal? What type of company is this? Find out from your bosses who they want it handled if it happens again.